Chinese Tea Ceremony

Last week we had some friends visit from Thailand. They wanted to buy some tea, so I took them to a shop where one of our Chinese friends works. As many of you may know, one of the things China is famous for is it's tea. Traditionally, tea is not just consumed, it is experienced. There is an entire ceremony involved in serving it. Today, it is still one of the fluids that lubricates society. It is used at business, political, and social functions as a way for the host to show respect for the guest, and for the guest to relax and savor the subtle flavors of the variety of teas that are available, usually in a soothing and comfortable setting. Our hostess was a young lady named Xiao Zhou. She studied the art of serving tea for six years. How can serving tea be so complicated as to require years of study? Well, according to Xiao Zhou, if you don't heat the water, pour the water, or soak the tea leaves in the correct way, it can drastically alter the way the tea taste. When you are dealing with tea leaves that have been drying for anywhere from five to hundreds of years, your technique is very important. The water must be boiling hot. The hotter the better. You must pour the water onto the side of the tea pot, not directly onto the tea leaves. I was told that doing it incorrectly will unleash the flavors too quickly. You do not serve the first or second steeping. You use the first steeping to rinse the tea cups that you will serve the tea in by filling the cups then pouring the tea out. You do this right in front of the guest. You then add water to the pot a second time and then pour it out too. Finally, you serve the guest. You must be careful how you do this also. The most important person at the table must get served first. Be sure to only fill the cup seventy percent full. This is also very important as it is considered rude to fill the cup to the rim because the traditional tea cups are tiny and have no handle. The guest could burn their hands if the tea is overflowing. I was told if you do this to a Chinese person, it is an insult and they will get very upset. IMG_0227 After Xiao Zhou served us a five year old tea from the PuEr region of the Yunnan province, she then informed us that she was going to teach us how to serve tea properly. I took my turn and quickly came to appreciate her skill. They all laughed at me because my hands were shaking. I wasn't nervous but handling the delicate tools of this trade takes concentration. The most skilled servers make it look effortless, they move with a fluidity that matches the tea that they serve. I now know why they study for so long! In the end, my tea did not taste as good as hers, mine was a little more bitter. After all who wanted to learn got their chance, Xiao Zhou then arranged for us to go to a different store that sold the same tea for a better price. She even arranged for someone to drive us there. Upon arriving at the second store, we again were served numerous cups of tea. So we then discovered that another important feature of a tea shop is having a restroom close to the serving area. I really enjoyed our afternoon experiencing the tea ceremony, and I now want to get a traditional tea set for our home. Who knows, maybe if you come to visit, I will be able to make you a proper cup of tea. - Frank

“The spirit of the tea beverage is one of peace, comfort and refinement.”- Arthur Gray